It is known in the art to provide a flexible outer covering for an acoustical panel and a panel employing same wherein such flexible outer covering has a plurality of openings therethrough and a roughened or textured outside surface defined by projections and indentations which serve as miniature sound baffles and with the openings allowing passage of sound waves through the outer covering and as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,712,846. However, such a wall covering and acoustical panel employing same as disclosed in this patent are not usable in applications such as hospitals, instrument laboratories, computer facilities, food processing facilities and clean rooms of all types where it is required to maintain acoustical qualities of a wall covering and panel yet provide a washable, stainproof, fluid impervious wall covering which also assures that materials such as fiber glass often comprising an acoustical body disposed beneath the wall covering will not reverse flow through the openings.
It has also been proposed heretofore to provide wall coverings which have been protected with a polyvinyl fluoride film. However, it has not been known prior to this invention to provide an acoustical wall covering and panel employing same provided with openings therein and with fluid impervious film sealing the openings and enabling the wall covering to be used as an effective acoustical covering which is both washable on the outside and effectively isolates materials disposed therebeneath.